Comments on: Maran HaRav Shteinman Comments on the Nepal Earthquake, Chofetz Chaim Video And More

By: Shlomo 2

Shlomo 2 — Fri, 01 May 2015 16:01:18 +0000

Shuali:
I wish to know, but I nevertheless don’t understand.

Since you also wish to know and DO understand, why not share it with me?

By: Rif

Rif — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 22:00:16 +0000

Shuali:

The discussion is not whether the kolel lifestyle is right or wrong, neither is it about mothers with unreasonable demands.

I raised a question from Rav Steinman’s perspective. The Litvishe Gedolim have encouraged the kolel lifestyle, so I view it as an inconsistency to criticize girls who seek a profession, when their main goal is to support their kolelnik husbands.

Personally, I believe that the man should be the breadwinner (as the kesuba mandates), and the burden of parnassa should not rest on the wife’s shoulders.

By: shuali

shuali — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 21:31:16 +0000

@Shlomo2 – “The rav’s chavrusa Rabbi Moshe Schneider relayed the Gadol HaDor’s statements. When asked just what does HKBH want from us, the gadol hador is quoted saying ‘One who wishes to know, understands exactly what HKBH wants from us, but one who does not really want to know will not understand. . .’”

So this Gadol, at least, has spoken to us.

By: Shlomo 2

Shlomo 2 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 20:26:54 +0000

Shuali:

Since we haven’t heard from the Gedolim yet, perhaps you could take a crack at explaining the message — and why it was sent in this way.

Why the people of Nepal, rather than Yisroel’s enemies?
Why rain down so much misery, just for OUR sake?

Couldn’t the message have been sent in a different way, not just because of the misery left behind, but because so far not even the Gedolim have told us what the message even was?

How is it justified that inncocnt people should suffer such devastation, for OUR sake?

There must be answers, otherwise HASHEM would not have done it.

But what are they?

Thanks!

By: shuali

shuali — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 17:49:50 +0000

@hakaton – “That’s not what he meant. Obviously, this did not happen ONLY “in order to send us a message”. Certainly, Hashem had other cheshbonos as well.”
If you really wish, I will try to provide the sources for this, but suffice it to say that it is clear from the Torah that everything that happens is to send Yidden a message. (“Bereishis, ‘bishvil Yisroel, she’nikreh reishis.’”) The Torah and the entire beriah for which the Torah is the blueprint, is HaShem’s way of “talking” to us.

By: shuali

shuali — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 17:35:34 +0000

@chachom – You ask what type of girls are being rejected. I’ll answer you.
1) If they are not the right height
2) If they are not the right age.
3) If they are not the “size”.
4) If they did not go to the right schools/Seminary.
5) If they do not wear the right clothes.
6) If they did not attend the right camp.
7) If they did too much chesed (they don’t care about family).
8) If they did too little chesed (their family doesn’t care about others).
9) She was involved in too many extra-curricular activities.
10) She was involved in too few extra-curricular activities.

By: Shlomo 2

Shlomo 2 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 15:42:37 +0000

HaKatan:

That’s why I was asking what the cheshbonos might have been to do this to the people of Nepal rather than to our enemies.

It’s so hard when we know that HASHEM is sending US a message, but can’t figure out for ourselves what the message is. We don’t even understand why there wouldn’t have been some other way of sending that message, without the need for all these Nepalese to suffer so horribly.

That’s why we rely upon our Gedolim.

So, I look forward from hearing from them.

By: Shlomo 2

Shlomo 2 — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 15:20:10 +0000

I agree with brooklynhocker.

YWN should stick to reporting the words from our Gedolim that make sense to us — like HASHEM’s having rained death and misery upon a million Nepalese people (now without food, water, or shelter) so that WE will get a message.

YWN should NOT be reporting things that are harder to fit in to how we view the world, as it might shake our Emunas Chochomim c”v.

By: chachom

chachom — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 14:34:29 +0000

“Ask most bochrim today and they will tell you that girls are being categorically rejected by their mothers whose standards they don’t meet.”

shuali: What type of girls are being rejected? (I didn’t understand this point you’re making.)

By: HaKatan

HaKatan — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 14:28:25 +0000

Shlomo 2:
That’s not what he meant. Obviously, this did not happen ONLY “in order to send us a message”. Certainly, Hashem had other cheshbonos as well.

Rif:
He’s presumably talking about Chareidi Israeli culture, which has a number of substantive differences from the Torah world elsewhere.